“New year, new you.” How often have you heard that phrase in the last few days? Many times, no doubt, but will you be doing anything about it?
Many of us troop off to the gym, go out walking or running for, at worst, a few weeks, and at best for a few months before returning to our regular routines. Old habits die hard.
January might be dry, diets might be started and we promise ourselves change with a whole series of New Year resolutions. But be honest, how many of us keep them? Not many, I’ll wager.
However, every year our Live Longer Better programme transforms lives for the better as it covers many different aspects of health and wellbeing, you have the support and encouragement of others on the course as well as the course tutors.
But don’t take my word for it, here are some testimonials from those who have taken part:
“The activity weeks were so much fun, and I found several, which I have now taken up as regular activities, and I have met so many new people. The Summer Programme for me was superb. I did things I would not have done on my own, such as swimming in the sea again after many years of not doing so. I was introduced to organisations and groups who were accessible and made single people very welcome.”
Or this one: “I had a shoulder injury from cycling and now by completing my exercises each morning, I now have more movement back in my shoulder and arms to reach up to get things out of cupboards in the kitchen and no pain!”
And finally: ‘Now I feel more positive, confident and motivated to prioritise my health and wellbeing. I challenge myself to converse more at groups and activities I attend.”
Interestingly, one participant took away one of the most important and little-known lessons from the course, which is that we must do more exercise as we get older, not less.
We bring together a whole range of experts to help you on your journey including the Community Builder team, Wellbeing Coordinators, link workers. social prescribers, members of the Healthy Lifestyles team, people from Active Devon, and NHS staff from Torbay Hospital.
The Live Longer Better programme has three aims. The first is to increase activity (physical, cognitive and emotional), which will help people feel and function better this year and prevent or delay the onset of dementia, falls, disability and frailty.
It also focuses on the three Rs: regain confidence and purpose, recover strength, skill, stamina and suppleness and recondition the body.
The second is to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce the period of dependency while at the same time reducing the gap between the most and the least deprived groups in society.
The third is to reduce the need for health and social care because a person with greater strength, stamina, skill and suppleness has greater resilience, is less likely to need acute care and is more likely to be able to return home quickly.
Key messages from the course include:
- Focus on YOU
- Feel Good physically and mentally
- Find fun activities you enjoy
- Make time for social connections
- Age Positively
- Live with Purpose
- Challenge yourself, try new things
- Create realistic plans and goals
- Change attitudes and perceptions
The free classes run for eight weeks and start again on February 4th in Brixham, from February 5th in Torquay and from February 6th on Thursdays. As part of the course, there are also free taster activities (depending on the season) such as swimming in the sea, snorkelling and flat green bowling.
The course runs in small groups of 18 people in a relaxed environment where you can learn, be inspired and share ideas about improving and maintaining your health and wellbeing.
This is about empowering YOU to increase and maintain your physical ability, cognitive capacity and stay socially connected to challenge yourself to live the best life you can.
For more details or to book your place, contact Jess Slade by calling 07772 023170 or email her at jessslade@torbaycdt.org.uk.
This could well be the one New Year’s resolution that you keep and if you do, it will be a resolution that keeps on giving.
Torbay Citizens' Assembly 